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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. suit — clothes
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. key — for a lock
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. spring — of water
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com